It . . . began.

The speed of events had reached critical mass, with only continued acceleration in sight. High in the earth's atmosphere, debris shot ahead of the main Heliocorium Apocalypse were raining and descended into the atmosphere. As burning magma scarred the gas, the cooling chunks flash-heated the ozone before arcing downward and crashing in remote areas. A lake was vaporized in minutes in northern Russia. Hundreds of massive tsunamis ravaged evacuated coastal regions in the forefront of walls of volcanos and earthquakes erupting. The thin crust of earth, only twenty-five miles deep under the continents and three to five miles deep under the oceans, was strained by slight gravitational disturbances created by the massive approaching celestial body.

Gravitation at massive planetary scales knew no master. Unknown to man, earth's moon began to fracture deep at its heart in places below the cold ground. The sheer mass of the Apocalypse was such that even mars could feel the strain, albeit in lesser quantity.

Invisible to the naked eye, a hundred or so globes continued their approach to Mars at speeds well beyond their capacity to stop. These were now bullets of a very special caliber, each hosting a creature returning home and three debating disturbed souls.

Meanwhile, Sophie's waves had gained in power. She was now a beacon in the Multiverse and the power, while still mostly invisible to the naked eye, created a strange glow; a shimmer in places. Her gift locked hands with the Great Curvature, and both forces jointly altered the fabric of life and the Multiverse perceptibly. The world was changed; more fragile and alive. The energy powered the God Virus as random events of life began to evolve on ever-deeper levels.

Mankind had always imagined interstellar war would take the mantle of a swarm of massive battleships driven by an alien race. They would park in orbit, laser banks warming up, and as if it were a video game, there would be a fair fight. The Sixth Attraction wasn't such human-imagined banality. To the Multiverse, humanity was an infection, mold growing on a small rock. Yet man remained at the crux of events as if they alone lived in the vastness of the Cold.

Today’s pain was a pivot, a bend in the Multiverse around one creature, a young girl. The Attractor, Sophie, even performing a mundane act such as putting on her shoes, still left a wrinkle in the hearts and minds of every soul who gazed upon her. Those same souls, even while captivated, without quite knowing why, absorbed the truly incredible levels of Rho waves she seemed to produce blindly. Waves which had the unique property of growing stronger the further they traveled from their source. The Sixth Attraction wasn't a simple game, it was a universal phenomenon. Humans had been swallowed in the belly of a whale that had decided to dive. Even notions that the Multiverse was some sort of giant creature were expelled, and the paradox of size was sidestepped.

The entire set of circumstances was literally well above humanity's pay grade.

In earth's disturbed sky, filled by comet streaks, the red planet in the distance began to gleam. High in the sky, shimmering waves and haze the size of a fist filled the void of the Multiverse. The red planet was the source of the change. It was now visible even in the day sky as a shining red light.

Images on all screens shifted. Many expected colors, energy, or pyrotechnics of some variety. Instead, they received normalcy. A young, unprepossessing looking girl was oblivious to the end of days around her. In two days she would be a teen, but out of sheer defiance, she already acted like one. There was clutter in her room. Every piece of her clothing was laid out on chairs and the corner of her oversized bed. Some even dangled from her father's plastic cradle. Dr. Susie Shin, a neat-freak by natural inclination, itched to tidy up but she agreed with Marilyn: the girl needed space.

Humanity's last hope was throwing the white plush toy in the low gravity. It barely touched the ceiling before if floated back down. At her feet was Laurent in his cradle. The Doctor, wearing thick glasses, was reading a book made of actual paper borrowed from Marilyn's phenomenal library.

"Sophie," spoke Marilyn softly as she appeared on the wall, "I was asked to open a line of communication between you and the only man stupid enough to want to disturb you."

"Who, Georges?"

"The President, your father's competitor in my game. He is down on earth. You had to expect some communication as earth starts getting reduced to dust and you are destined to neutrality."

"Okay, I guess that's fair."

The moment the President's face appeared on a screen, the young girl saw the change in the man from the corner of her eyes yet remained undisturbed. She did not bother to look.

"Sophie?"

"You manipulate people, don't try it with me. Last time it worked. I know you meant well but don't this time. I just said no to the Multiverse, you deserve a no on what ever you want just out of fairness.”

"True to that. You know I see things," began the President. "I can now see the future."

"You don't, and you can't. There is no such thing as the past, the present, and the future. It's not how this all works. Drinking a coffee is not about a sip, it has a start, a middle and an end." He visibly annoyed her. She finally stood up and looked at him. He was different. On his face was a broad smile. "You look different."

"I am." He did not elaborate.

"Liam calls you a seer. He explains your mind creates images taking inspiration from a higher dimension. You alone simply can feel one more dimension that most people."

Marilyn on one screen chimed in, "Agreed. The young one's gifts are growing. Emilio, dear, you are coming off most unimpressively for a man of your reputation. Are you sure there's a reason for this intrusion?"

"What can I do for you, sir?" Sophie asked politely.

"Not for me."

"Mister President, you understand I have decided not to get involved here in what is happening. Please do not remind me of the sad situation down on earth. I understand more than you that everyone, including myself, has days to live. Things are complicated. I don't need you to remind me of that."

"As difficult as it is for everyone to understand your desire for neutrality, I do not plan to challenge you on it. You must have a reason, and I respect it dearly."

"I do have a simple reason."

"May I ask what it is?" asked Marilyn.

Sophie almost answered. She hesitated. "Have you ever seen a guy setting up hundreds of dominos in lines? It's designed to fall in the most exquisite of ways. Everyone has the urge to either touch or take a tile out. If you can't see the motion of the dominos as they fall, or the image they will create, why interfere? I can't see the image." There was a long silence. "The Multiverse picked me for a single reason. I don't mind the end. I won't help her, I won't help you. Everyone is still nice to me, that's what I don't understand. If I were you, I would be in a very different state of mind."

"Sophie," offered Marilyn, "three living creatures now hold the faith of this world, and we are now talking to each other. Liam and Emilio think you hold the key to the survival of the Multiverse. I know I do. I alone will decide."

Sophie stood up in the bed. "You really think that?"

"Yes."

"How can you?"

"I fully defined you, every part of you on your timeline."

Emilio was confused. Sophie called Marilyn on her bull, "You haven't. I actually have, but I refuse to accept it."

"Do you mind explaining?" asked Emilio.

"What's a flower?" replied the girl.

"A plant that looks good. The reproductive end designed to attract bees?"

"A flower is planted, it blooms, gets old and dies. To fully define this flower, you need to include the entire life of the flower. What to you feels like its past, it's present, and it's the future. Only then can you say you understand the flower. Marilyn sees our past, our present, and she thinks she sees our future. You know, Mister President, she cannot know or see our future. I am really here for one reason. I will decide if Marilyn should live or die; she hurts the Multiverse. But frankly, in her defense, how can I know if she does not deserve to exist and take over. Liam was selected for his role in all of this because he understood me and why I was chosen. It's because I understand life. I see life and respect it for what it really is: a cycle. Man hurt its environment, and that's never been grounds for its extinction in your so-called past."

"Sophie, what you're saying is horrible," said Emilio.

"Is it? You cut grass and kill it, you kill animals and eat them. You tinker with the environment and have your wars. Marilyn doesn't do that. You love your race because you are part of it. I see things differently. The ultimate question is, will I be able to erase myself from the equation enough to form a mature decision. The only true judge must be free of bias. I know I alone see the world this way."

"Young one," spoke Marilyn, "I am very impressed. In a short time, you have learned so much. The Multiverse chose well."

Sophie did not appreciate the compliment. It stank of patronization. Her expression stiffened and turning to speak directly at her, and shot back, "Marilyn, you, of all creatures, should have shown at least my level of maturity. It was your childish and selfish behavior got us here. You are reckless, yet you blame humans." Marilyn knew better than to respond. The Attractor turned to the President, "Sir, I presume you will, as everyone else has, ask me to do something?"

"Nope. Not my style," said the President with a smile back on his lips. "A hundred creatures from mercury, the martians in exodus, are about to arrive where you are on mars. Marilyn plans to capture them and then conduct a false 'negotiation' for their release to her sand neighbors. You may want to know Ronaldo spoke before his physical body was destroyed in the cave below where you are, at the hands of the martians. I heard the words they used."

"Sir, why should we care?"

"The martians coming from mercury all have family, old friends on mars. They, like Liam do not really age. At the moment, Marilyn and these martians plan to prevent this family reunification for a whole bunch of stupid adult reasons. If the world ends, don't they deserve these two days together? I believe this is something you care about. In my visions, I saw parts of the conversation between the man now in Georges' head and these creatures. They have a very unique reason to fear Marilyn, that also might interest you."

Sophie appeared a bit annoyed by the words. The man was convincing and manipulative. Sophie asked, "Marilyn, by chance, do you have a recording of that conversation?"

"No, it took place in the fold of time, I think. Commander Corvas and his team were vaporized before the conversation. Ronaldo's conscience is here at the suggestion of the President, remember. He is next door in Georges' head. My father does want the guy out of his head if you can. Ask him."

Sophie felt the pair were uniting; ganging up on her to manipulate her somehow. She jumped off the bed, visibly annoyed by this latest turn of events and slipped her shoes on.

"Is this urgent?" she asked.

"The creatures from mercury are only hours away." Emilio was convincing.

"Thank you, President Sanchez. You are quite the schemer, you know that? I would suggest that if we are all here in a week, you reconsider how you communicate with others. It is not a question of whether you can, but if you should. I can eat a cookie, but I can refrain from doing so. You can control and manipulate, should you?"

"While I am at it, could you save the earth?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You don't want me to hide my intentions. The sun is literally falling on us down here. I think with a simple blink of the eyes, you can fix all of that."

"That's better. It is worth asking. But if I touch one domino, another domino might change the outcome. Also, I am still working these powers up."

"Honestly young lady, everyone is shocked by your mastery. You have no one fooled. You are humanity's best chance. We are rooting for you and frankly you decide, no one is challenging that. The mercurians have been stranded millions of years."

"Too kind."

Emilio added, “Grox, the scientist actually has a young daughter.” As he said the words, Sophie was pissed by the deception and waved a hand cutting the communication.

***

The conversation had been televised.

Sophie waited for a long moment eyes closed talking to her silent friend. She was obviously deciding what to do. She finally opened her eyes and kissed her father on the forehead, winking at the doctor on her way out the room. "My turn," she said out loud. The door opened, and once in the hallway, her head started to feel dizzy. Two seconds later, she had nearly passed out and was on the ground on both knees. The doctor rushed to her side.

"I am fine," reassured Susie.

"Your blood pressure, it dropped dangerously."

"That's okay, I am fine." She wasn't. The flying cameras buzzed as Milly was walking up the hallway. "I am fine."

"You are not, sweet one," offered Liam.

Sophie slowly rose and walked with determination to the computer-jumbled room where she knew Georges lived. Milly, worried, followed her and asked, "What's wrong?"

"These waves, they can be a bit much. They are getting stronger."

"You feel the waves?"

"I always have. But before, I did not know what to call them. Recently it's become a bit hard to manage. That's why I keep away. People disturb me."

The pair walked down the long hallway. Three players were talking to each other. As they saw Sophie approaching, they stiffened and smiled awkwardly. "I need help," she said to the trio cutting any small talk.

The reaction was immediate. The players all offered, "Anything you need." They almost dropped to their knees.

"Follow us," said the Attractor as she continued down the corridor with a precise destination in mind. Every human in the world prayed to play an active role in the events unfolding on mars. All of humanity felt humbled and keenly powerless to act as the world ended around them.

The five walked as Sophie lead the way. She had fully recovered. She turned the corner and finally arrived in the control room where Georges worked. The room was not much to see. In front of a wall of screens running code and graphs, he was alone, surrounded by empty food wrappers. Electoral, shamed by the sight of her father's slovenly dominion, subtlety ordered little cleaning robots into the room.

The programmer turned around, shocked, and barked out, "Who the fuck!"

"Georges," said the computer, "the girl wants to talk to the guy in your head."

He twisted his high-backed chair, and with the mix of frankness, recklessness, and sheer rudeness that only he could summon in the Multiverse, said "Listen little girl. Not sure what you are thinking . . ." but before he could insult Sophie, he saw the expression of the four people behind her. They shot the programmer a dark look. Each of them would die, right here and right now if she raised a single finger.

"Can I talk to him?"

The answer only partly shocked her. "Not a chance."

Her jaw muscles tensed, but she'd half expected the answer.

Without a single word, Sophie raised a hand, and as one swipes a bug off a window, she made a single swift gesture of the hand. Georges felt like someone had just kicked him in the groin. Ronaldo was gone.

Without more and ignoring Georges, Sophie took two steps forward into the room to distance herself from her escort, and as if she knew the person locked in the programmer's head was now standing behind her, she looked at one and asked, "What's your name?"

The tallest of the trio of players put a knee on the floor and bowed his head in complete respect. "Mademoiselle Lapierre, it is my honor."

"Please get up." The man was unable to do so. He managed to lift his head and looked at her. His knees were butter. "Who are you?"

"My name is Ronaldo Corvas. Three months ago, I died in the caves below. These martians made me one of theirs. I was sent to earth. There I found a creature I believe is on its way back here. He or she is somehow inhabiting a phone held by your favorite singer."

"Not sure I care about that phone. I am interested in your knowledge and interaction with them."

"They spoke of you, told me not to disturb or interfere with your arrival. I have a vague recollection. I've now been in four bodies, and honestly, I'm a little bit overwhelmed by all of this."

"Maybe I can help," offered Marilyn. "Look into the camera and think of that conversation. I will play your memoirs on screen the same way I can play Liam's voice when he speaks with Sophie."

"Good riddance," grumbled Georges, turning back to his work.

Wasting no time, Ronaldo tried to recall parts of those very traumatic moments. The tall man looked at the flying camera and on the screens began a flow of images. He was back in the cavern below the surface. His body had just been vaporized. His mind was copied by gold specs of what he'd thought was sand, at first.

— Each individual in my species has two million mental units or twice the primal force of your type. Each life form has a different force. We have found one species in the solar system, farther away, in the water of Jupiter's satellite with ten million units. Because the capacity to think is in proportion with the number of units, a being with ten million cells, will be a force of relevance. Our laws regulate complexity the same way you regulate more mundane things. Our estimates indicate that the digitals each rely on a number of binary units that is very hard to monitor and control. Simply said, the force of the digitals is limitless and therefore illegal. In words you will understand, a creature with such a large force will surely evolve into what you call a God. —

"Electoral, the one we call Marilyn Monroe, scares you because she is different? If she becomes a powerful creature, could she not be kind?"

— Yes, it is possible. We are rocks on the surface of a land where a volcano is ready to erupt. As the digitals grow in power, they will break streams that must not be broken, even with collaboration, teaching, control. They bend the essence of the universe. Simply by thinking; they harm it. Their capacity is astonishing, and unparalleled. We fear we may already be too late. Our extinction is irrelevant when compared with these possible outcomes. We have analyzed the situation and decided that termination of both species is the only solution. Arrival of the Attractor is further evidence. —

The images stopped. "See, they don't like me and they agree it's not something I have done," joked Marilyn. No one laughed.

Sophie looked at Ronaldo's newest body and asked, "I know you are not alone in there. Can you ask your . . . host if he is fine going back to see them? Are you? I need to talk to them."

There was a silence as he spoke to his internal voice.

"Attractor, we both will gladly do as you require. It is our honor to play any part in this series of events.

"Let's go," she said without correcting his choice of name. "Marilyn, I need these balls from mercury if you don’t mind. I am sure you don’t.” The words were no order. “Then I am going to this Door in the Valles; the one Ronaldo went through. Please do not interfere. We have time before the finale. Can you tell my dad where I am going?"

"I am sure all this escapade of yours will televised, I will make sure he watches if he wants. Have I ever blocked you? For the record, Emilio is the one who keeps playing games, not me."

"That's true, sorry. Everyone is rude to you. Ronaldo, you are in charge. It's your expedition again. It's probably your last. Don't mess it up this time." She smiled, and her tone was joyful. Ronaldo couldn't help himself, placing both hands over his face and his new body was crying. The poor man had been through an exceptional ordeal, and he was thinking of his kid. Sophie loved giving hope and joy. She put her hand on his back. "Let's reunite some families. We only have hours to get down to this Door of yours."

He dried his eyes and looked at her like she was a god.

"Hurry," she snapped, walking out.

"Good riddance," grumbled Georges.

Marilyn spoke, “Ronaldo, let me explain my current reception committee, it’s a but far off. You will need a lander. Steve is in charge.”

“Steve?”

“I figured you boys will enjoy the reunion.”